Master the art of the perfectly round patty with the fantastic burger press! If you’re thinking of upping your barbecue game, your first step should be buying the best burger press. Regular, hand-shaped patties don’t cut it here!

Raise your hand if you’re a fan of the classic, all-American burger!

John’s looking over my shoulder as I’m writing this, and guess what he’s doing? He has both his hands in the air! It’s official, everyone, I’m married to a barbecue addict – a grillaholic, if you will.

Anyway, it seems like finding the best burger press has been his latest obsession – hand-pressed patties don’t cut it anymore, I guess.

Now, I know a lot of you share his passion for all things barbecue, so I figured why not share some of his knowledge with you?

Does Your Kitchen Really Need A Burger Press?

I can imagine what my mother would have to say about this:

- "What do you need a burger press for, Barbs? We used to do it all by hand, and there was nothing wrong with our hamburgers!"

And while I do agree that she knew how to make a delicious, mouth-watering burger, I also think that there’s nothing wrong with getting some help in the kitchen – and that’s where the best burger press comes to play:

1. Uniform Burgers Every Single Time

There’s more to it than merely squashing a meatball between your hands: First and foremost, you have to get that perfectly round shape patty after patty. And don’t even get me started on thickness consistency!

Enter burger press – a handy little tool that does all the hard work for you. Add the ground meat, push the lid down, and voila – you made a perfect burger!

Rinse and repeat, as they say, and pretty soon you have a batch ready for the grill.

2. Consistent Size Means Even Cooking

Sure, it’s nice to have perfectly-shaped patties every time, but besides them looking good – and making you look like you know what you’re doing – there’s one more advantage to it: Evenly shaped patties will cook evenly, as well! You can finally say goodbye to overcooking smaller burgers while the thicker ones remain undercooked.

3. Cut Back On Time Spent In The Kitchen

Now, I’m not the one to complain about the time I spend preparing food: I love every minute of it – but I know not everyone shares my enthusiasm for cooking.

To tell you the truth, I have those odd days when I don't feel like spending an entire day in the kitchen – and that's where this handy tool comes in as a lifesaver.

Shaping patties by hand can take ages, but with a burger press, you can be done in a matter of minutes!

What To Look For In The Best Burger Press

Okay, I thought I managed to prevent John from hijacking this entire article, but I guess I was wrong: He insisted on helping me write this section, and I can’t say no to him, so, here’s how to pick the best burger press, as told by our household’s grill master – my husband, John!

1. Size And Capacity, Of Course

First and foremost, pay attention to the press’ capacity and size – not only do they determine the number of burgers you’ll be able to make at a time but their dimensions, as well.

Ask John, and he’ll tell you nothing’s as important as that.

So, keep the standard burger measurements in mind – and never settle for less:

Diameter: On average, the width should be around four (or more) inches.

Thickness: Standard patties should be between half an inch and an inch and a half.

Weight: An average burger should weigh around 0.2 pounds – no less than that.

Oh, and throw the number of people you usually cook for into the equation, too: Making one burger at a time, and doing so when your entire family is waiting for you to finish to fire up the grill doesn’t sound like the ideal scenario, now, does it?

2. Material

Luckily for you, it’s not an overly complicated choice to make – you have only two options, after all:

Plastic – Lightweight and easy to clean, plastic’s the ideal choice of material for those of you looking to get a burger press that will pull them through a couple of barbecues a year. Plus, they tend to be budget-friendly, too, and for light, occasional use, that’s as good as it gets! The only real downside is durability – with all those plastic parts, you can’t expect it to last nearly as long as a metal one would.

Aluminum Or Steel – Now, if you want something that’s built to last, aluminum is the way to go. Not only is it sturdy but it's lightweight, as well – and not a lot of metal hamburger presses have that advantage. I’m yet to see someone use a steel burger press at home, though. They’re super heavy and bulky, and I always felt like they belong in a restaurant kitchen, but I could be wrong – maybe they could fit into a modern kitchen decor, after all. As with any kitchen tool made of metal, though, there’s a risk of corrosion. Of course, you can minimize it by taking proper care of the press, but it’s still there.

3. Stick Or Non-Stick?

According to John, this is a non-negotiable matter: If you get a chance to choose, always opt for the non-stick surface!

And he’s right – I mean, who wants to scrape their patties off of the press’ surface only to do the touch-ups by hand? It defeats the purpose of getting the best burger press in the first place.

That said, they do tend to cost a bit more than the sticky variety, but the convenience is worth every penny!

Barbara’s Pro Tip: I’ve had my fair share of non-stick coatings that didn’t work whatsoever, but I managed to work my way around it with one simple trick: A layer of wax paper (or even plastic wrap) does wonders for those sticky surfaces! Plus, it makes clean-up a breeze!

4. Maintenance

Everyone who knows him knows that John loves making burgers – but cleaning up?

Not so much.

​However, thorough cleaning is a must after every use, as it reduces the risk of contaminating your patties with food-borne pathogens. Food poisoning is never fun, I can tell you that much!

That’s why I prefer presses that allow for a fast, throw-it-in-the-dishwasher approach to cleaning – and plastic ones seem to be the best choice in that department.

Barbara’s Pro Tip: Avoid anything that has too many parts and requires complete disassembly every time – you don't want to take it apart for cleaning, only to realize you forgot which piece goes where!

Most Recommended Burger Presses: Detailed Reviews 2019

I figured it would be great to kick off this round-up of the best hamburger presses on a lighter note – lighter on your wallet, that is:

The Cuisinart Burger Press is one of the most affordable options currently available on the market – but at the same time, it brings some notable high-quality features to the table, as well.

I guess sometimes you can have your cake and eat it, too, huh?

Anyway, the first thing that caught my eye was the body of the press. It’s plastic, which, of course, means it’s very lightweight, but more importantly, it doesn’t lack sturdiness – and that’s always a gamble with plastic burger presses.

We tried making both regular and stuffed burgers, as well as sliders, and it performed beautifully! Moreover, clean-up was a breeze, too, since the entire thing is dishwasher-safe.

And while it does have a non-stick coating, I don’t think it’s doing much – if anything:

I had burger meat stick on its surface more than once, which not only ruined the shape of the patties but made scrubbing and scraping a mandatory step in the burger-making process, as well.

Pros

Suitable for making regular patties, sliders, and stuffed burgers

It has a non-stick coating

It’s dishwasher-safe

Made from lightweight, yet sturdy plastic

An affordable option for folks on a tight budget

Cons

If you want to make perfect patties, and you want to do it fast, the Weston Burger Express is the way to go: From the non-stick coating to the handy patty ejector, this thing is made for quick results!

Throw in some meat, press down, and the spring-loaded plunger will do the rest – compress and shape your burgers, push any remaining air out of them, and pop them back up for easy removal. Yes, it’s as simple as that!

The most notable thing has to be the adjustability, though:

You can customize your patties – from adjusting the thickness and weight ( ¼ to ¾ of a pound) to choosing between stuffed and regular. I haven't tried it for myself, but I think it makes sausage patties and crab cakes, too!

Now, if you’re the one doing the clean-up after the burgers done, you should probably know that the press is not dishwasher-safe, which means you’ll have to take it apart and clean it manually.

Also, before you get down to business, make sure you get a hold of wax paper – you’ll need it to eliminate any chance of sticking!

Are barbecue parties a regular thing in your home – or rather, your backyard? If you’re anything like us, you’re somewhat of a barbecue addict, and you want your grilling accessories to keep up with you, right?

You want something that’s built to last – and unmatched durability is precisely what the Bellemain Burger Press brings to the table!

Featuring a seemingly indestructible heavy-duty aluminum body this massive press packs a punch. But here’s what made it stand out:

The pusher’s spring-loaded mechanism allows you to shape your patties in a variety of thickness levels and pop them back up in a matter of seconds.

Unfortunately, the non-stick layer seems to be there for purely decorative purposes, since I found that the meat sticks to the press’ surface despite the coating. Granted, it doesn’t happen every time, but it’s still something worth mentioning.

It wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have to clean it by hand, though. Yup, it’s not dishwasher-safe – and with all that meat sticking around, you’re in for a lot of scrubbing and scraping.

Plus, it’s capable of making more than just your plain, old pattie – the Grilllaholics Stuffed Burger Press gives you a chance to experiment with added toppings, as well. If that doesn’t tip the scales for you, I don’t know what will.

We haven’t used the free recipe ebook yet, mostly because John has his way of making stuffed hamburgers, but I’m sure you’ll find it useful!

Unfortunately, though, you can’t adjust the thickness of your patties, as you do with some other models on this round-up – but it’s up to you to decide if that’s a dealbreaker for you or not.

Also, watch out for that not-so-ergonomic handle, especially if you have slightly bigger hands, as my husband does – it’s going to rub your knuckles in all the wrong places!

You have no idea what it took to persuade John into giving this one a chance. He’s one of those people that are very particular about their patties, and getting him to try something other than a perfectly round burger was quite a task.

But guess what? These weird-shaped, hexagon burgers grew on him after a couple of uses!

And with the ability to make up to eight patties at a time – that’s right, eight – how could he not be impressed with the Shape+Store Burger Master?

The entire press is made from non-stick plastic, but what it might lack in durability, it surely makes up for in efficiency.

Plus, it’s dishwasher-safe – and trust me, when you’re cleaning up after a large family barbecue, you learn to appreciate things like that.

Here's what bothered me: It doesn't seal properly – well, at least not as tight as I expected.

Although it’s advertised as a storage container, too, I did find some minor freezer burns on the patties, so you should probably stick with its primary purpose, and forget about the whole "container" thing.

Pros

It shapes up to eight burgers at a time

Suitable for shaping and storing burger meat

Every patty is individually sealed

The tray is made from non-stick plastic

It’s dishwasher-safe

Cons

exclamation-triangle

Freezer burns are still a possibility

exclamation-triangle

It’s a bit pricey

And The Best Burger Press Is...

Okay, you know the drill: Now’s the part where I announce the winner of the round-up – and in this case, the best burger press is, by far, the Grillaholics Stuffed Burger Press.

First of all, it’s surprisingly durable, but more importantly, it’s suitable for making both regular and stuffed burgers! It was the affordable price and the free recipe ebook that tipped the scales for us, though!

And since he helped with picking the winner of the round-up, John would like you to leave a comment below – you know, in case he missed anything! 🙂

Barbara Whitney

For the last 20 years, I’ve been cooking, preparing, researching, and gathering recipes, tools, and knowledge about food and the way we prepare it. Raising two lively boys and spoiling one great husband later, it’s safe to say that I’ve optimized my kitchen to deliver the best possible meal, no matter the occasion.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 0 comments

Leave a Reply:

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.